Rangers Infielder Edged Out of Top 20 in Latest MLB Third Basemen Rankings

Should this infielder have cracked the top 20?

Texas Rangers cap | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers were one of the first teams to plunge into the trade market this offseason, kicking things off with their shocking Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo trade. They didn't stop there, as they later went on to acquire MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals.

A few of their free agent signings were also noteworthy, including the acquisition of Danny Jansen. Their activity this offseason will only help them during their upcoming campaign and potentially push them into the postseason race after missing it last year.

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While the ballclub continues to square itself away, MLB preseason rankings are surfacing. The latest release by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report features the top third basemen in the Major Leagues right now. As expected, the Rangers landed one of their infielders on the list, Josh Jung, but he just barely missed out on the top 20, landing at No. 21. What set him back?

Jung Will Either Sink or Swim This Year

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Jung has spent his entire professional career in Texas after being picked eighth overall in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft, but a torn labrum left him sidelined at the beginning of his career. During his rookie year with the Rangers, he only appeared in 26 games, slashing .204/.235/.418 with a .653 OPS and five homers.

Once 2023 rolled around, he started to see improvements and slashed .266/.315/.467 with a career-high .782 OPS and 23 homers through 122 games. Unfortunately, his success was short-lived, as he suffered another injury in 2024, this time, a fractured wrist.

His 2025 campaign wasn't anything to write home about, either. Although he appeared in 131 games, his subpar slashline finished at .251/.294/.390 with a .684 OPS and 14 homers. This could have been much worse, but it was far from his best.

This inconsistency is a key reason why the 28-year-old is not ranked further up, and this will ultimately be a sink-or-swim season for him. His injurious past raises a few red flags, but 2026 could end up being a turnaround for him.

Of course, that's said with great caution, as a similar thought was had when he bounced back in 2023. But one year later, he found himself plagued once again.

For now, Jung's No. 21 placement is reasonable—he clearly has potential, but he has to do a significant amount of proving to do this year, both at the plate and at the hot corner.

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